Stop-motion device for sewing machines



Feb. 3, 1931. w, MYERS 1,791,322

\ STOP monon DEVICE FOR SEWING mourns Original Filed Jan. 26 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Mulder 1 110 Cute-z "0/11 Fb. 3, 1931. w. MYERS 1,791,322

STOP MOTION DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES V 'Original Filed Jan. 26, 1928 2 Sheets-v-Sheet 2 wwwewem Patented Feb. 3, 1931 urrso sr'rss rarsur orric v WALTER MYERS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER Iv'IANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF ELIZABETH, NEVI JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY STOP-MOTION DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES Original application filed January 26, 1928, Serial No. 249,506. Divided and this application filed September 29, 1928.

" ing directed to the controlling means for determining the action and inaction of the stitch-forming and work-feeding mechamsms.

In a commercial embodiment of the present invention, the machine is constructed with a cloth-plate and over-hanging bracketarm sufficiently long to conveniently accommodate the work To manually control the operation of the stitch-forming and workfeeding mechanisms, a hand-crank is provided upon a short, vertical shaft journaled in the machine bracket-arm adjacent its head, which hand-crank controlled shaft is directly geared to the feed-direction controlling shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, whereby the direction of feed may be conveniently controlled manually.

Through special connections housed within the bracket-arm of the machine, the handcrank may be operated to determine the position of a coupling device shiftable to connect and disconnect the pulley-and needle-andfeed-actuating shafts commonly employed in machines of this type. The stopping position of the needle-and-feed-actuating shaft is predetermined by the engagement with a stop-notch, formed on a member carrier by said shaft, of a spring-pressed plunger slidingly supported for endwise movement in a bracket secured to the rear side of the machine bracket-arm.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a front side view in elevation and partly in section of a machine containing the present improvements, the bracket-arm cover-plate Serial No. 309,143.

being removed. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the machine bracket-arm head and bed-plate, the feeding-foot being partly brotive views of the feed-finger actuating cam and its support.

Referring to the drawings, the sewing machine is constructed with a cloth or bed-plate 1, from which rises the vertical standard 2 of the overhanging bracket-arm 3, terminating in the head 4 to whichis suitably secured the supporting frame 5. V

Journaled in a suitable bearing provided in the standard 2 is a short actuating shaft 6 carrying at its outer end the combined balance-Wheel and belt-pulley 7 The shaft 6 is counter-bored at its inner end to provide a bearing for the reduced end 8 of the needleand-feed-actuating shaft 9, the opposite end of the shaft 9 being journaled in a suitable bearing in the bracket-arm 3.

Supported for rotation about a vertical axis, in bearings provided in the supporting frame 5, is a cylinder 10 within the upper end of which is splined a short, hollow needle-bar 11 partaking of any rotations of the cylinder and capable of vertical reciprocations with respect to said cylinder. Secured within the needlebar by a set-screw 12 is a hook-needle 13, the needle-bar 11 being operatively connected with a driver 14, vertically reciprocated in theusual manner from the shaft 9.

Cooperating with the needle 13 below the cloth-plate, in the formation of either chainor drop-stitches, is a vertical-axis looper 15 upon the upper end of a shaft 15 suitably journaled upon the machine-frame and having a spiral-gear 16 in mesh with a spiral driving-gear 17 upon the forward end of a rotary and endWise-reciprocatory shaft 18.

The looper-act-uating shaft 18 is journaled for rotary and cndwise reciprocatory movements in bearings provided in brackets 19, 20, depending from the cloth-plate 1, the

shaft 18 adjacent its rearward end being splined to the hub 21 of a bevel-gear 22 jour- 1 .LL. A

shalt- :1, against naled for rotation in a bearing-aperture in the bracket 20. At its rearward end, the shaft 13 is suitably connected with depend arm 23 of bell-crank lever fulcruin'ec ithin the bracket-arm standard 2 upon a ivot-pin 24 disposed transversely of the length of the shaft 13: lhe other arm 25 of the bell-crank lever suitably connected with the lower end of pitman provided at its upper end with a strap 27 embracing an eccentric hav'ng a hub fixed upon the t wi l therefore be evident that t 9 is rotated, the 18 de- :e recin'ocatory movements to ie looper 15 about its vertical axis t 1 f 11 v 1 n to UOSltlGll f hread 1.91 en asement b the L b \J hooked neeole in the usual manner.

The hub 29 the eccentric 28 is embraced by the correspondingly recessed flange 30 of a c provided with e. cam-groove u K) 3 mounted upon. the short 9 the flange 30 is a couplingprovided enter an or upon the sha in the eccentric Q8 and adaptec to rture in a coupling-collar 3e fixed t 6. Beari against the camsleevo 31 is a, coil-spring surrounding the shaft 9 and interposed between said cornsleeve and a collar 30 fixed upon the shaft 9. lVhen permitted, the spring 35 acts to cause coupling engagement of the pin 33 with the collar 34, whereby the shaft 9 is joined to the shaft 6 for rotation therewith.

deans are provided for norma'ly holuinc the coupling-pin 33 disengaged from the collar 34, for .vhich purpose the cam-groove entered by a roller carried by the free end of e vibratory-arm 37, pivotally sup ported upon the machine frame within the standard 2. Adjustably connected to the arm 37, by means of an eccentric stud 38, is one end of a connecting-lever 39, disposed within the bracketerm 3 and form d intermediate its ends with an elongated slot 10 to provide guide-walls slidable upon a fulcrum block 41, pivotslly secured by me 18 of screw 42 to the mach ne frame. The other end of the lever 39 is snouldered to provide a depending latch-hook 43 adapted to be enby an upwardly directed latch book Mrformed on one end of u lever 45, pivotally supported within the bracket arm 3 upon a pivot-screw 46. The latchhoolr end of the lever 45 is yieluingly urged upwardly to engage the latch-hook by means of a spring l? interposed between lever and the bottom of the braclreterm. l'n l of the drawings, the lever is shown as latched to the lever 39 whereby the vibratory arm 3'? is held gainst movement to the right. lhe arm 37 being held against movement to the right, will be evident that upon further roteti of the shaft 9, the sleeve 3 'e shifted to the left upon the action of the spring 35,

which has the effect of withdrawing. the coup ling-pin 33 from the aperture in the collar 34. The shaft 9 thus disconnected from its driving power would eventually come to rest.

However, means are provided for predetermining the stopping position of the shaft 9. P y referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be observed that the periphery of the cam-sleeve flange 30 is formed with a V- shaped stop-notch 48, which in the position ccupied by the sleeve when uncoupled from is driver, is adapted to be entered by the wedge-shaped end of a plunger-head 49. The plunger-head 49 is slidingly supported for endwise movement within the bore of a tubular bracket 50 suitably secured in an aperture in the rear side of the standard 2, said plunger-head having a reduced extension 51, surrounded by a coil-spring 52 interposed between the plunger-heal and an adjustable bushing 53 threaded into the bracket 50. The inward movement of the plunger under the action of the spring 52 is adjustably limited by a nut 54 threaded upon the outer end the plunger-extension 51 and engaging the head of the bushing 53. The adjustment provided by the eccentric stud 38 affords means for slightly altering the timing to in sure entrance of the flange-notch 4-8 by the plunger 49.

In order to rotate the cylinder 10 under inanual'control, there is secured upon said cylinder a bevel-gear 55 in mesh with a similar gear 56 upon the forward end of a feedirection controlling shaft 5'? journaled for rotation in bearings provided in the bracket-arni 3. Intermediate its ends, there is secured upon the shaft 57 a bevel-gear 58 meshwith a like gear 59 secured upon the upper end of a tubular shaft 60 projecting within the bracket-arrn 3. The tubular shaft 60 is journaled for rotation about a ver tical axis in a bearing provided by a boss 61 depending from the bracket-arm 3. Secured upon the end of the shaft 60 projecting below the boss 61 a crank-arm 62 carrying a crank-handle 63, which as usual in machines of this type is capable of slight movement in a direction at right angles and with respect to the crank-arm 62. The crank-handle has a peripheral groove or operatively engaging one arm of a lever 65 fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon the crank-arm 6 Engaged by the flattened end 66 of the lever 65 is a pin 67 slidingly disposed within the tubular shaft 60, the upper end of the pin 6 being positioned to engage the depending end 68 of the lever 45. It is apparent that a downward movement of the crank-handle 63, effected manually, causes a rocking movement of the lever 45, against the action of the spring 47, to release the connecting lever 39 and thereby permit the spring 35 to effect in due course the coupling of the shafts 6 and 9.

Heretofore in machines of this type, when the nature of the work was such as to permit of continuous stitching, certain of the parts of the stop-motion controlling mechanism were removed from the machine so as to obviate the requirement for the operator to maintain the shafts 6 and 9 coupled by constant depression of the crank-handle 68. To in a simple manner provide for continuous stitching, a screw 69 is threaded into the hub of the crank-arm 62 in a position such that it may be caused to engage and secure the pin 67 Therefore, when the pin 67 is eievated to disconnect the stop-motion controlling levers 39, 45, it may readily be secured in its raised position by means of the screw 69.

The rearward end of the feed-direction controlling shaft 57 is geared to the upper end of a vertical shaft 70, journaled for rotation in bearings provided in the standard 2 and carrying at its lowerend a bevel-gear 71 meshing with the bevel-gear 22, which as before described is splined to the looperactuating shaft 18. It willtherefore be understood that by rotating the crank-handle 63, the cylinder 10 and the needle-carrying bar 11 splined thereto will be likewise rotated, as well as the looper to properly present the thread to the needle.

The feeding mechanism of this machine, with the exception of the feed-length adjusting mechanism, is substantially as disclosed in greater detail in my prior Patent No. 1,325,033, December 16, 1919. This feeding mechanism includes a feeding-foot or ring 72 which is detachably secured upon the lower end of a feed-bar 7 3 supported at its upper end for universal movement about transverse pivotal axes in a manner to permit the feed direction to change upon rotation of the cylinder 10 by the crank-handle 63.

In the present instance, the extent of workfeeding movement of the feeding-foot is determined by adjustment of the vertically reciprocatory cam-member 74 about an axis approximately coincident with the point of engagement of the usual feed-lever 75 with said 0am member. To this end, the cammember is provided with spaced arms 76 having upon their inner surfaces the curved guide-ribs 7 7 (only one of which is shown) slidingly disposed in correspondingly curved guideways 78 (only one of Which is shown) provided in the opposite flat sides of a ful crum block 79. The cam-member arms 76 are provided with arcuate slots 80 through which extends a pin 81, secured in a transverse aperture 82 in the fulcrum-block by means of a set-screw 83. Threaded upon the opposite ends of the pin 81 are nuts 84, whereby the cam-member is secured upon the fulcrum-block in adjusted position. The fulcrum-block has a grooved collar 85 embraced by the forked arm 86 of the usual vertically reciprocatory sleeve 87 whereby feeding movements are imparted to the feed-bar.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is i 1. In a universal-feed sewing machine, a cloth-plate, a bracket comprising a vertically directed standard from which extends lat rally a bracket-arm overhanging the clothplate, a main shaft,a needleand feed-actuating shaft, coupling means for connecting and disconnecting said shafts, and means for controlling the action of said coupling means during the operation of said main shaft including a manually operable member carried by the overhanging arm of the bracket, and connections with said member extending lengthwise of the overhanging arm of the bracket.

2. In a universal-feed sewingmachine, a cloth-plate, a bracket-arm overhanging the cloth-plate, a mainshaft, a needleand feederatively connected with said vibratory-arm, a latch-lever normally acting to hold said connecting-lever in position to effect uncoupling of said shafts, and a manually operable member disposed above said cloth-plate for at will rendering said latch-lever ineffective.

4. In a universal-feed sewing machine, a cloth-plate, a bracket-arm overhanging the cloth-plate, a reciprocatory needle, a feedingfoot, a main-shaft, a needleand feed-actuating shaft, coupling means for said shafts including a shiftable cam-sleeve, a vibratoryarm actuated by said cam-sleeve, a connecting lever housed within said bracket-arm operatively connected with said vibratoryarm, a latch-device acting to hold said lever in position to effect uncoupling of said shafts, and a manually actuated hand-crank journaled in said bracket-arm operable to determine the directionof feed of the work and to render said latch-device ineffective.

5. In a universal-feed sewing machine, a reciprocatory needle, a feeding-foot, a mainshaft, a needleand feed-actuating shaft, coupling-means for said shafts including a shift able cam-sleeve provided with a coupling-pin and a stop-notch, a vibratory-arm actuated overhanging portion of said bracket-arm opilk by said cam-sleeve, means for maniially controlling the vibration of said arm to thereby control the operation of said needleand feedactuating shaft, a plunger adapted to engage said cam-sleeve stop-notch to determine the stopping position of the needle a spring urging said plunger into engagement with said cam-sleeve, means for adjusting the pressure of said. s Jring and adjustable means for limiting the movement of the giunger under the action of said spring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WALTER MYERS. 

